Ever Seen This??

[Andrew76]

I just uploaded a whack of photos from a wedding into Light Room - as I was perusing through, I noticed this one.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? I'm not through my entire catalog yet, but so far this appears to be the only one.

[Glenn NK]

Thankfully I've never seen it (touches wood), but it's most likely a corrupted memory card, and hopefully not a failing shutter.

The colours are kind of neat - maybe they'll frame it.

Glenn

[Andrew76]

but it's most likely a corrupted memory card

Glenn

That's what I originally thought - and maybe still do think, but it's brand new, and it's only happened to one shot of about 350 on that card.

The colours are kinda cool - probably take hours in PS to recreate it! Very 'Warhol-esque'.

[Polar01]

I had two images go something like that, after they had been processed and converted to B&W, I moved them to my possible print file, they look ok, however if I open them to print something like that. Happened once about a year ago nothing else since that time.
Cheers:

Allan

[Snowy55]

If you find the original on the card is OK then it would point to a disruption during transfer. Otherwise reformatting the SD card might be worthwhile in case it is a fault on the card but if it was me I would replace a card I thought might be dodgy.

[rpcrowe]

I had a new Kingston 16GB card react like this one, only it was for all the images. Funny thing, the images on the LCD ware O.K.

I am thinking that if I had shot RAW + JPEG, that the JPEG images might not have been corrupted. I just tested the card by shooting and looking at the LCD. I never tried downloading the images. I learned from that experience. I bought another Kingston card, at a very good price on sale, and the same thing happened. However I never shot anything but the tests with that card and returned it where I purchased it.

I have also learned from that second malfunction. No more Kingston cards for me...

[RustBeltRaw]

I've had similar artifacts show up with a PNY card I've since relegated to storing music. At the risk of shameless plugging, I use all SanDisk SD cards now, and I haven't had any failures or corrupted images from the camera. I have an 8GB Ultra, two 16GB Extremes, and one 32GB Extreme Pro card, all totally reliable so far, but no manufacturer's perfect. Regardless, I'd recommend tossing that card and replacing it with SanDisk or Lexar versions.

Also worth mentioning that one of my backup drives is starting to lose images. I keep stumbling on corrupted RAWs. Fortunately, the second drive is fine, but I'll be moving the whole backup to a new array soon. Irritating, since the Seagate Momentus 7200.5 750GB drives I used are theoretically server-class products. Every Western Digital drive I've ever used is still working perfectly (lots of computer builds), so it's back to their stuff for the new array. Laptop with built-in 2TB RAID 1, here I come.

[Andrew76]

Good advice Lex. I'm going to back up my backups today, actually. I got a little scared.

Unfortunately, this was a 8GB SanDisk Extreme CF Card. All I use are SanDisk as well. This had me stumped.

[DanK]

I can't see how this could be a shutter, since bands differ by color.

Intermittent problems can be awful to trace. I think my approach would be to set the card aside, even though SanDisk cards are very reliable, because it might be the card, and that is the easiest thing to check. If the problem ever appears on another card, you have your answer, but it might never recur. Alternatively, take a LOT of shots that you don't care about with that card, after you reformat it in-camera, and see if you can recreate the fault.

[pnodrog]

Was the file a JPEG or RAW?

[Andrew76]

Alternatively, take a LOT of shots that you don't care about with that card, after you reformat it in-camera, and see if you can recreate the fault.

That's some great advice - and I think I'll try it tonight... I'm curious to your suggestion of reformatting it in-camera, as opposed to a computer format though. But I'll give it a shot!

[Andrew76]

Was the file a JPEG or RAW?

The photo was captured as a RAW image (looked ok on lcd screen), then imported into LR, where no modifications were made, and exported to my desktop (only downsizing it for web viewing), and then uploaded here through Tiny Pic.

Any thoughts, L.Paul?

[pnodrog]

It looks like corruption of the file but there are several possibilities.

1. EMI interference on camera when writing file.
2. Faulty memory card.
3. Faulty transfer of file to computer.
4. Fault / EMI interference on RAM
5. Corruption on Hard Drive.

You could try reading the image again from the card - maybe direct from the camera or via a card reader changing how you did it last time. If it is still there it at least makes the last three options highly unlikely.

[James G]

Andrew, I have had a couple of instances of something similar over a period of about a year. Seemed to happen after raw file transferred to hard disk and then the copy referenced a little later. In each case it was a singleton image out of a whole shoot. I'd swear they were all OK after initial transfer.

My best guess (much later),was that I'd developed a sector fault on the hard drive, though why only one image affected is beyond me.

I'd scan your drive to check if there are bad sectors and then maybe migrate data to new drive if anything significant shows up. My drive did fail sometime later with cyclic redundancy faults. Luckily I did have a backup .....James

[Andrew76]

Awesome. Thanks L.Paul, and James for your input. Like I mentioned earlier, I've got another external drive now, and I'm going to backup my backups tonight - just in case.

I will play around with a few of the options suggested above, and post here if I learn anything. One thing's for sure though, I won't be using that card for anything important until I sort this out.

[Andrew76]

Well, I'm not sure if this is good news, or bad news..... But here's the latest one I've found:



Oddly enough, same day, same location. BUT, different camera, and a different card. In fact, it was a different type of card too - this was shot with a Canon 60D which takes SD cards. Still a SanDisk Extreme Pro, (as I mentioned, that's all I use).

So, at least I know it's not my cameras/cards.... I think. Sorry for the small size, but I figured you'd get the point.

[Andrew76]

Well, I'm narrowing it down.....

1) Can't be the CF card. As I showed above, I now have 2 images infected. With different bodies, and different cards.
2) Might be the video card, but seems unlikely, as it's a very, very limited frequency rate.
3) Might be the hard drive on my computer, but I'm praying to whoever it is I believe in that it's not. Also seems unlikely, as there is really nothing else going wrong with the computer.
4) Having weird artefacting happenings when I'm saving from NIK plugins back into LR.
5) Upon opening the images in ACR, I find that they're fine. Only stricken in LR.

Conclusion: Something happening to LR?? Guess I'll ring up Adobe next.

[Carl in Louisiana]

Not sure if it would work, but have tried removing/deleting LR and SEF and re-installing them.

[Andrew76]

Hi Carl. I have not. But I think that's a good option too. I may just wait until tomorrow to see if I can get in touch with Adobe first though.

I'm sure that's what they'll suggest too.

[Manfred M]

This is file corruption, pure and simple.

Either it is being written incorrectly (the most likely cause) or there is a read issue. This is definitely not a video card issue.